Buffalo - one of the nation's fastest dying Cities. (by Forbes) (Rochester: city hall, renting)

[Checkered24]

Originally Posted by giffman

I'm laughing as I read this quote. You wouldn't leave WNY for 4 times your salary and most true WNYers feel the same way?

I cannot say that I feel this way, and having lived my whole life in the Buffalo area I suppose I am a true WNY'er. 4 times my current salary? Sign me up!

Don't get me wrong, I like many aspects of the area. However, not all is perfect either. The taxes are way too high. Last time I saw a CNN Money ranking, the total NYS tax burden ranked 2nd highest in the country. The job market, to be blunt, stinks. I was lucky enough to get a federal job 7 years ago to allow me to stay in the area. However, I could not make what I do here in the private sector in this town, and I don't really make all that much anyway. Certainly not getting rich. Plus, the constant exodus of younger people is discouraging, and harmful to the area and economy on many levels.

I agree, there is some good things happening around downtown, but are somewhat off set by the fact that most of the rest of the city of Buffalo outside of downtown continues to decline.

In about a year, our office will close and I will likely be out of a job. So I am looking now. It's not pretty around here. My first choice would be to stay in the area... but it's probably a long shot.

[SlickRick1]

I have lived in Buffalo for the past two years, and I had attended college there prior to that. Did you notice the word had, which is past tense. I moved! I had to move. Unless you like living on minimum wage and working service jobs, (cheesy restaurants, gas stations, video stores, car washes, etc, or Buffalo's number one employer collections) you might want to stay clear of here. I have a degree in Business management and I couldn't even get an interview in Buffalo. And there were almost no professional jobs to interview for. I would run into the same old song and dance,---years of experience. Which made it impossible for new college grads to ever get hired. Unless you wanted to sell cars or do the above formentioned you were as the Americans would say, "**** out of luck". Yeah, the cost of living was low, but it had to be because so many Buffalonians are on welfare or barely getting buy. Stroll through the west and upper west side to see all the beautiful dilapidated properties. The only nice areas in Buffalo, not counting the suburbs (which are plain and boring) is the Elmwood village and some distinct areas to the North and some in the south. Everything from the village going west, from Richmond towards Niagara is ghetto. There is an abandoned house about every three houses on the west side. Drug dealers making there living from corner to corner. Drivebys are an everyday occurance. Welfare lines to the max on a day to day basis. In the winter HEAP recipients will gather down on main street in the icy cold early mornings to keep there heat on in there dilapitated, run down, drug infested homes. I haven't even headed to the east side yet. The east side looks similar to Beirut during war time. Now I know all cities have there problems but Buffalo is losing population in record increments and the jobs like the dessert heat has dried up a long time ago. I honestly do not see Buffalo rebounding. Yeah, you have your italian festival, art festival, and free concert in the square every week in the summer. It is all a mere distraction from the fact that your city is dieing along with the hope of today and yesterday's generation. Yes we still have the Buffalo Bills and the Sabres, yet it is all a matter of time before Toronto owns the Bills and corrupt Buffalo politicians decide that we can no longer hold a Sabres team, which for the last couple of years has been Buffalos heart and soul. Cherish what is left in Buffalo, because there is no telling what tomorrow brings. Unless you are a corrupt Buffalo politician. Oh and by the way, hats off to Byron Brown for finally completing that wonderful lakeshore harbor. I have been down there and I cannot believe that this is what we fought for, for so many years. It was nothing more than a little canal bridge with some walkways. So next time your in Buffalo you can forget that this is the second poorest big city in the nation, because there is a new sidewalk. But take comfort in the fact that it won't be long before we will lose the title of second poorest big city in the nation, simply because it wont be long that we wont be considered a big city.

[Buffalonian4life]

Originally Posted by SlickRick1

I have lived in Buffalo for the past two years, and I had attended college there prior to that. Did you notice the word had, which is past tense. I moved! I had to move. Unless you like living on minimum wage and working service jobs, (cheesy restaurants, gas stations, video stores, car washes, etc, or Buffalo's number one employer collections) you might want to stay clear of here. I have a degree in Business management and I couldn't even get an interview in Buffalo. And there were almost no professional jobs to interview for. I would run into the same old song and dance,---years of experience. Which made it impossible for new college grads to ever get hired. Unless you wanted to sell cars or do the above formentioned you were as the Americans would say, "**** out of luck". Yeah, the cost of living was low, but it had to be because so many Buffalonians are on welfare or barely getting buy. Stroll through the west and upper west side to see all the beautiful dilapidated properties. The only nice areas in Buffalo, not counting the suburbs (which are plain and boring) is the Elmwood village and some distinct areas to the North and some in the south. Everything from the village going west, from Richmond towards Niagara is ghetto. There is an abandoned house about every three houses on the west side. Drug dealers making there living from corner to corner. Drivebys are an everyday occurance. Welfare lines to the max on a day to day basis. In the winter HEAP recipients will gather down on main street in the icy cold early mornings to keep there heat on in there dilapitated, run down, drug infested homes. I haven't even headed to the east side yet. The east side looks similar to Beirut during war time. Now I know all cities have there problems but Buffalo is losing population in record increments and the jobs like the dessert heat has dried up a long time ago. I honestly do not see Buffalo rebounding. Yeah, you have your italian festival, art festival, and free concert in the square every week in the summer. It is all a mere distraction from the fact that your city is dieing along with the hope of today and yesterday's generation. Yes we still have the Buffalo Bills and the Sabres, yet it is all a matter of time before Toronto owns the Bills and corrupt Buffalo politicians decide that we can no longer hold a Sabres team, which for the last couple of years has been Buffalos heart and soul. Cherish what is left in Buffalo, because there is no telling what tomorrow brings. Unless you are a corrupt Buffalo politician. Oh and by the way, hats off to Byron Brown for finally completing that wonderful lakeshore harbor. I have been down there and I cannot believe that this is what we fought for, for so many years. It was nothing more than a little canal bridge with some walkways. So next time your in Buffalo you can forget that this is the second poorest big city in the nation, because there is a new sidewalk. But take comfort in the fact that it won't be long before we will lose the title of second poorest big city in the nation, simply because it wont be long that we wont be considered a big city.

I'm sorry you feel this way . I for one am a buffalonian for life, and will continue to live here and spend my money here as I enjoy this wonderful area. Perhaps many have their different views, but I know that Buffalo will soon rebound, and has some signs that it is already progressing. By the way, the "Lakeshore harbor" has just one or two phases complete. The Major Bass Pro Shops is coming as is a large hotel, many residential condo and apartment living, lots of retail, restaurants, redigging of the canals, and a whole new shopping and living district on the beautiful resource of fresh water that we have. This, when completed by 2010, will be a huge breath of fresh air (literally!) and will be the new shopping district of WNY. Did I mention that it will also include 40,000 NEW homes beautifully set on the outer harbor as well? Things are coming together, and one day Buffalo will be rivaling many other major cities. AND, even if it doesn't, this is my home, and I could really care less if people keep moving from here. We have the resource of water, beautiful region, and everything I could want including a high paying job, AND, the less people, the better commute times! (number 1 in the country). Also, not forgetting to mention the great festivals and quality of life that surrounds me day by day. This is my home and you can call it or bash it however you want, but I know that I am living on the best place on earth.

[Buffalonian4life]

Hey everyone! Check this out in reponse to this article! Mayor Brown heard about this Forbes rating and sent a letter describing how that was all based on historic statistics.

Buffalo Rising | Brown Retaliates To Forbes

[Rochester-WNY]

Originally Posted by Buffalonian4life

Hey everyone! Check this out in reponse to this article! Mayor Brown heard about this Forbes rating and sent a letter describing how that was all based on historic statistics.

Buffalo Rising | Brown Retaliates To Forbes

Good article, well worth the read. Since my time living in downtown Buffalo, there is one thing that has never crossed my mind and that is dead. The person who works for forbes that put Buffalo in there obviously hasn't been to Buffalo or WNY. There is always something going on and many developments happening.

If I didn't get my camera stolen at HSBC arena lol. I would be taking pictures to show these donkeys there wrong.

To conclude, Buffalo is vibrant, I am not bias. There are always people walking around and always traffic. I guess there is no teaching these guys a lesson. They will always be morons.

WNY PRIDE.

[friedzone]

Sadly I must agree with SlickRick1. From my recent visit, I think his post is a fair assessment of Buffalo. The only thing I would add is that the air quality in Buffalo is also poor. Which makes it a bad choice for people with respiratory illnesses. Radiological pollution in Erie, Niagara AND Cattaraugus Counties are real issues. Sorry to be negative. Just pointing out some realities.

[bmd51]

Why is the air quality poor? There are no industires and everyone has left.

Ozone levels are probabaly low there and trafic is nill.

[VegasRocks]

Buffalo is geting worst not better. The economy is downright
pitiful. Finding a job that you can make a living in WNY is like winning
the lottery. WNY's continues to lose good paying jobs such American Axle closing it's Buffalo Plant where it employeed nearly 3,000 workers just a few years ago, now their closing the Tonawanda Plant in 2009 another
1,000 jobs will be gone. Also many more plant closing are coming in the
next couple of years such as Ford Woodlawn Stamping Plant in 2011,
Delphi Lockport & GM Tonawana Power tran are also getting rid of lots & lots jobs daily American Brass/Luvulo in 2010, Motorola/Continel plant Elma at the end of 2008, Also The City of Buffalo alone has over 20,000
vacant houses, Where every you drive in Erie County you see empty & closed Factorys, business's Plazas, Malls, and everything in between. The roads are crumbling and filled with potholes. The bridges are rustfilled and falling apart too. There is little to no private investment in the area.
Buffalo makes Detriot, Gary IN & even East St.Louis look good.

The area is so bad that their's 2 control boards one for the City of Buffalo & The County of Erie and the same corupt people are on them
who destroyed WNY with having the highest taxes,utilities, fees in the country. The brain drain can be seen everywhere
in WNY, 9 out 10 people are over 65. The Bills will move to Toronto
when the lease is up at the Ralph.The Sabres will move to a city that's growing and deserves a team such Las Vegas, Houston, Austin, Lexington
Salt Lake City even Hamilton or Winnipeg.

[friedzone]

Yes, a lot industries have left but there are still a lot of dirty industries that are allowed to pollute the air there. Some of the bad air drifts over from the steel plants in Hamilton Ontario also, which Buffalo is downwind of. Sorry to be so negative.

[bmd51]

The air quality is still alot better than most areas. How about southern california or the acid rain regions that burn coal. The air quality in Charlotte is real bad.